Flat panel displays are well known. They are used as television screens, computer monitors, and the like. One example of a contemporary flat panel display is the common plasma television screen.
Contemporary flat panel displays tend to be popular because of their space saving configuration and appealing aesthetic design. However, such contemporary flat panel displays tend to suffer from undesirable degradation and consequent premature aging due to environmental effects (such as temperature extremes, bright sunlight, and high humidity). Such environmental effects can result in an undesirably high failure rate. For example, contemporary large plasma screens are often only about one half of their original brightness after five to six years of use.
Holograms are also well known. Holograms are three-dimensional images that can be used for entertainment, medical imaging, and a variety of other purposes. Static holograms are stored as interference patterns on film. Moving holograms, such as may be used to provide three-dimensional movies, require the use of a rapidly programmable phase plate to reproduce the images.
Thus, there is a need for a solid-state flat panel display that is mechanically robust, consumes little or no power when in a standby mode, and is long-lived in the presence of a harsh environment. The need for such an improved flat panel display is more urgent for larger size monitors and televisions, which are inherently more costly and can tend to be more subject to undesirable environmental degradation. There is also a need for a rapidly programmable phase plate that is suitable for reproducing holographic images.